Slayers: Tides of Chaos - the Sequel to Kuroryu
by Eveshka
Summary: In the sequel to The Ancient Temple of Kuroryu, Lina Inverse is the Chaos Knight and has a task ahead... alone.
1. Reunion! Food! It's Just Another Day...

Chapter 1

Reunion!

Food!

It's just another day…

"There's a small town around here called Tirshen… if we catch up with you before that… well… we'll just see how it goes, okay?" 

Lina's voice echoed in his mind as he stood quietly in the center of the small town and looked around. The streets were quiet, and it was still the dead of night, there was still enough time to catch a nap before they arrived. 

In all actuality, the town of Tirshen hadn't really been all that far away from Kuroryu. He'd spent the vast majority of the night walking and thinking, and many times had turned away with every intention of not going to Tirshen at all. Yet, here he was, standing now in the dim hotel lobby, hearing himself rent a room from the sleepy clerk. He kept going over the conversation with Lina in his mind, trying to hear what she hadn't been saying. 

## "She's a little young, but give her time…" 

He stepped out of the hotel's private shower, having had rented it for the evening as well as the room, dried off quickly, and shook his head as he put on the robe they had given him. He tied it around his waist and noted that they had already picked up his clothing to be cleaned. He hoped that they'd return the clothing before the others got in. 

## "You need time on your own…" 

He closed the room door behind himself, walking towards the two beds, taking the one under the window. If he needed so much time to himself, what was he doing here in Tirshen? Getting into the bed, he could only wonder. 

## "Maybe you ought to ask her for yourself…" 

Maybe he would. 

Maybe. 

The town of Tirshen was much smaller than Kuroryu. Tirshen had one hotel, one little area of stores, and one of two places to eat was the tavern where Lina had been told that wonderful food was served. Against Lina's desires, for she wanted to get her lunch as soon as possible, the trio went to the hotel first. Finding out that the hotel only had two rooms and one was already rented out did nothing to help Lina's bad mood. 

"Oh great! First you two drag me into the hotel first, and then we find out that there's only one room left with three of us!" Lina rounded on Amelia and Gourry. 

"The room has two beds…" Amelia cringed, just certain that someone was going to get the business end of a fireball, and she didn't want it to be her. 

"Yeah, and I can sleep on the floor," Gourry volunteered. 

"I don't want to share a room with you two! I just want to get food!" Lina ranted, glaring daggers at both the swordsman and the cringing princess. 

"Gourry will share the room that I am in. There's an extra bed. You and Amelia can share the other." 

Lina spun around as Amelia's eyes grew wide. _He is here! He did come! A wicked thought came to Lina's mind, but she put it away instantly, because it would mean that she'd have to share her room with Gourry… and no way was she doing that. Not even after what she'd remembered. No way, it wasn't proper. Then again… Amelia and Zelgadis sharing a room would be even less proper. It was conveniently forgotten that she'd shared a room with Gourry once before… a long time ago, now. She looked at the confused clerk behind the desk. "Fine. We'll do that. I'll be back when I've eaten." _

The menu had been reasonable, Lina decided after she had ordered everything from 'here to there' and sat waiting for the food. So Zelgadis had come after all.

Good. That made things easier. 

A chair moved, and someone sat down beside her at the table, and as Lina looked over to see who it was, expecting to see Gourry or Amelia, she instantly cringed in terror. 

A rather nondescript waitress in a white uniform had sat down at the table, bangs hanging into her eyes and she wore a rather enigmatic smile, which she turned on Lina. 

Against every instinct to get up and run like Shabranigdo himself was after her, Lina forced a smile in return and managed to get a few words out. "What do you want…Luna?" 

"Want? Oh… I 'wanted' to congratulate my little sister," Luna Inverse replied, eyes peering out from under her hair. 

Lina paled, considering her options. She could try to escape… but she'd learned a long time ago that she'd better not get caught after trying. "Uh…" 

Luna laughed softly "You've finally managed to out-do me, little sister. The Lord of Nightmares herself has chosen you. Lina Inverse, Chaos Knight." 

Lina stammered, uncertain what game her sister was up to… and she wasn't sure she wanted to play it, whatever it was. "Well…. It was either that, or be taken by Shabranigdo." 

"Mmmhmm," Luna replied, looking over towards the door. "I'd better get going, got a table to take care of. But there's a message I'm supposed to deliver. Kira lives in this town. She wants a visit. You'll know which house is hers." 

Lina blinked, and her sister was gone. _Kira Inverse? In Tirshen? And Luna knew it?? Did she know it all along? Oh, what's going on here? _

A moment or two later, she heard footsteps, and then Gourry pulled out the chair that Luna had vacated mere moments ago and promptly sat in it, looking at Lina.

"You look like you've seen a ghost, Lina. What's wrong?" 

Lina watched as Amelia and Zelgadis approached the table. "My sister Luna was here… she wanted to congratulate me for becoming the Chaos Knight. Somehow that scares me more than when she wanted to beat me up." 

"At least your sister still stays in touch, Miss Lina. Mine doesn't… although I must admit that I don't miss her laugh…" Amelia replied, sitting quietly beside Lina. 

Zelgadis took the last chair at the table, and sat in it, looking at the trio calmly. He didn't say anything, but Lina had learned by now that until Zelgadis had a few cups of coffee in him in the morning, he wasn't much of a conversationalist. In fact… she was willing to bet money on the fact that Zelgadis was about as much a morning person as she was. 

"Yeah, I knew someone once with a laugh that I don't miss… but Luna… well…" She quelled the urge to run screaming into the next country, as the thought of Naga's laugh and Luna's presence unnerved her terribly. "Luna spent most of my childhood beating me up." 

"And you are more powerful for it," Zelgadis replied after tagging a waitress and quietly ordering a pot of his morning coffee. He hadn't gotten much sleep, and he could already tell that he was going to need it if he was going to deal with any of them today. 

Lina opened her mouth to protest that, but closed it as her food began to arrive. Zelgadis had a point… as he usually did. She really couldn't argue with him, so she just settled on digging into lunch and attempting to forget the whole situation. Except the visit. What else did Luna know that she wasn't telling…? And Kira… Kira Inverse… 

Amelia sat uneasily beside Zelgadis, watching Lina eat what seemed to be everything in sight. She wasn't particularly hungry, and winced as Gourry got stabbed with Lina's fork because he tried to grab a roll. 

"Get your own, Gourry!" Lina snapped, yanking the roll back out of his hand. 

"Hey! I only wanted a taste!" Gourry complained, rubbing at his hand. She hadn't broken skin, but still… 

"Then order one!" 

Amelia shook her head slowly, aware that Zelgadis wasn't watching the two who were eating… he was turned and watching her. With a slight blush, Amelia turned to look to Zelgadis with wide blue eyes. "Is there something wrong, Mister Zelgadis?" she asked, lowering her eyes to the medallion on his cloak clasp. _He's just sitting there, staring at me… What is he thinking? _

"Hm?" He blinked, as if unaware that he had been staring intently at her. It sunk in five seconds later, and a blush crept across his face. "Oh… sorry. No, there's nothing wrong." Nothing except the fact that I can't for the life of me figure out why you like me… he mentally added. 

Amelia nodded, sighing softly and rising from the table. The combination of Lina's table manners and Zelgadis' gaze was too much for her, and she headed quietly out the door and into the center of town. 

Lina noticed, and paused long enough to give Zelgadis one of those looks that meant 'go do, or I blast you' and smiled to herself when the chimera reluctantly got up and followed the girl. _Honestly… you'd think that I have to threaten him in order to motivate him! _

Outside, Zelgadis had no idea where he was supposed to find Amelia. She hadn't had much of a lead on him, but the princess could vanish just as quickly and as easily as a thief could in the night. With the heavy sigh of a person unwilling to do the near-impossible, he headed off into the streets to find her. 

Amelia wandered through the town, a strange depression hovering over her. She was happy for Mister Xellos, and happy for Miss Filia… But it left her feeling extremely alone. Miss Lina had Mister Gourry… and Amelia had nothing but a dream. Mister Zelgadis just wasn't like that at all. She remembered what she'd said when she first met him… and supposed that it had ruined it all forever. 

## "And who's he?! He looks so creepy and suspicious looking!"

She hadn't known him then and had made a horrible mistake. She'd apologized several times and he'd brushed it off… but it still upset her at times. Like now. She paused at a fountain, looking quietly at the water cascading down, wondering what she should do about it all when a throat cleared behind her, and a movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. 

A small bouquet of local flowers was being held out to her, and as she stared at them, she realized that the fingers she could see were tan-wrapped blue. She hesitantly reached out, taking the flowers and smelling them. The scent was sweet, intoxicating, but was that because of who had given them? 

"You looked… upset. I thought you might like them." 

Amelia looked up and turned to see him standing there, almost deliberately not looking at her, cheeks flaming."I do like them…" Suddenly she blushed, too, looking down. 

They stood there, caught in the moment of awkwardness, neither able to look directly to the other, but each keenly aware of the embarrassment that one was causing the other. Amelia stood frozen looking at the flowers, Zelgadis staring at the water. 

A short distance away, Lina Inverse (sorceress, Chaos Knight, matchmaker) hung her head in despair. Those two were absolutely hopeless. _Then again, she reflected as she glanced to the blonde swordsman that stood beside her, __I'm not much better with Gourry… _

"Amelia… I…" _Damnit, Zelgadis! Get your thoughts straight! "Would you like to… You didn't eat any breakfast… and I thought you might be hungry…" __Oh, Hell with it! "Would you like to get something to eat with me?" _

Amelia looked up at him, seeing the blush in his cheeks matching hers. "I'd… I'd like that, Mister Zelgadis…" 

Unseen by the two, Lina Inverse put out her hand, fingers forming a 'V.' "Victory…" she said with a grin. 

They sat quietly by the bank of the river, eating. Zelgadis was sipping his coffee, and Amelia decided that it was as good a time as ever, so… 

"Mister Zelgadis… I'm sorry if I upset you by liking you too much…" 

He set his coffee cup down a little too quickly, looking at her, then blushing. "It's not that, Amelia… It's…" he came to a halt in mid-thought. 

"It's what, Mister Zelgadis?" Amelia whispered into her tea. 

"No-one has ever tried to care about me." 

Amelia looked to him in total shock. "No-one?" She asked. 

In the distance, Lina's heart went out to Zelgadis, but there was no way that she'd tell him. First off, it would force her to admit that she'd overheard that… and second… that was Amelia's chance, not hers. Lina turned away, grabbing Gourry by the collar. "Come on, Gourry. We're going shopping and leave those two alone." 

Zelgadis, unaware that Lina and Gourry had been watching, unaware that they were leaving, simply watched the water and sighed. "I was raised by Rezo, Amelia. That didn't necessarily mean that I was loved." 

Amelia sighed, looking into her cup. She'd practically been smothered in affection since the day she was born… even more so after her mother was murdered and her sister ran away. She'd liked it at first, but then it had grown old, and she'd found that travelling with Lina and Gourry was much more interesting. They didn't smother her with love and righteousness. If anything, she'd learned that love had other forms than booming voices and bear hugs. 

The words fell out of her mouth before she realized that she was saying them. "I wish you'd give me the chance…" She blushed violently at that, setting her cup down quickly and staring at her hands. 

He sighed. _Well, there it is Zelgadis. There's your chance. Are you going to leave it on that, or will you finally take her up on the offer? He asked himself. "I'm… willing to try, Amelia…" _

She wasn't sure that she'd heard him right. 

In town, Gourry stood outside a shop while Lina drooled through the window at the items. "Look, Gourry! That's an orihalcon dagger! Oh, I wonder how much it is! If it's not too overpriced, maybe I could cast a spell into it and sell it in another town for more money!" 

"Lina, is money the only thing you ever think about?" Gourry complained. 

She paused, looking to him before opening the door. "Of course not, Gourry. Food's pretty important too." 

Gourry fell over, unable to believe her. Sitting up, he shook his head as the shop's door closed behind Lina. "What do I see in her…?" 


	2. Kira Inverse! The Two Paths Cross, Leavi...

Chapter Two

Kira Inverse!

## The Two Paths Cross

Leaving Chaos in Their Wake

Amelia couldn't believe it. He said he'd try. He said he'd try!!! Delighted and embarrassed at the same time, she danced her way through the town, flowers in hand. She needed to get them back to the hotel room so she didn't have to carry them around all day.

She cheerfully bounced into the room that she was now sharing with Lina, and came to a red-faced halt as Lina turned and lifted an eyebrow at the bouquet of flowers in Amelia's hands.

"So, Amelia… where'd you get those flowers?" Lina's tone of voice indicated that she had a fairly good idea, but wanted Amelia to confirm it for her.

"Well, um… you see…" Amelia stammered, staring at the flowers that she held in her hand. "It was… I mean, they were… Mister Zelgadis gave them to me…"

"Atta boy, Zel!" Lina hollered, falling backwards onto her bed. "It's about time he learned that he's loved."

Amelia stood in the door, her blush vibrant. "But… Miss Lina… how do you know?"

Lina sat up, looking at Amelia. "Amelia… it shows. It's the way you look at him, the way you always go to help him. Yeah, we all help each other out… but you go so far out of your way sometimes…" She paused. "And he does too. We can all see it, Amelia."

Amelia stepped into the room and set her flowers down on her bed, looking to Lina. "Oh… you mean, like you and Mister Gourry?"

Lina immediately turned beet red. "Well… er…" She started to laugh nervously. "You're just joking, right Amelia? Of course you're joking!"

"But I'm not, Miss Lina! It was so obvious that you liked him when Hellmaster Phibrizo kidnapped him…" Amelia's voice fell to a whisper. "I'd… I'd never heard you cry before. Not like that."

Lina froze, remembering the pain and heartache she had felt when she had awoken and known that he wasn't going to be there in the morning. How the tears had started, unbidden. "I… I didn't know you heard me…"

"Mister Zelgadis and I both did. It… he was really upset…" Amelia's voice trailed off.

Lina looked at her, aware that they had never really talked about that particular event. It had been too close for comfort… and entirely too painful. "You mean…" Lina sighed. _And I'd tried so hard to be okay for the rest of them… so they wouldn't know… and they knew. They knew… and they didn't say anything…They supported my decision to not cast the Giga Slave, falling one by one to Hellmaster… even… Martina… She looked down. They hadn't said anything, hadn't even let so much as a quip slip out. In all those times that she had teased them… and they'd teased back… __Once upon a time, I'd have freaked if anyone knew me that well…_

"It's no use to dwell on it, Miss Lina. What you need is some sunshine! Let's go out and enjoy the day!!" Amelia said, standing up from her bed, leaving the flowers behind.

Lina looked at Amelia, unwilling to mention that the day was almost half over, but dragged herself out of her slump and managed a smile as she looked at the flowers. "Well… at least you got flowers. I didn't even get the Sword of Light!"

Amelia froze, blushing again, and watched Lina exit the room. Shaking herself, she ran to follow the whirlwind of emotions named Lina Inverse.

Lina knew that if she didn't find Kira's house in due time, the mysterious relative might indeed come seek her out. And if Kira was anything like Lina… well, Lina didn't want to be on the looked-for end. 

Lina had managed to elude Amelia and began walking down an obviously residential street, when she came to a halt in front of a rather non-descript house. It felt familiar… like she herself lived there… She turned down the walk, approaching the house carefully, and pausing at the door to feel for wards.

The ward was entirely too familiar.

She reached up and knocked on the door.

After a few moments, the door opened, an all-too-familiar voice touching her ears. "Come in, Lina Inverse."

She peered into the room, stepping in slowly and seeing a figure standing in the shadows. As the door shut behind Lina, the other stepped into the room and Lina froze.

She might have been looking in a mirror, save for the clothing.

Kira Inverse stood before Lina Inverse, and, aside from the fact that Kira was dressed entirely in black and gold, she could have been Lina's twin. "Well! That answers that, now doesn't it?"

"How…" Lina tried to get her thoughts in some semblance of order. "I can't…" Finally, one coherent thought rose to the surface, the one big question that Lina had where it concerned her mysterious relative. "What did you do that was so awful to get yourself written out of the Family History book?"

Kira laughed softly, shaking her head. "I should have known that would be the first thing you asked me. Come, it's lunchtime, and I had just prepared something to eat." The elder Inverse turned away, towards the kitchen.

_Does she know how much I eat? Lina wondered to herself, following. But when she got into the kitchen, she found that she needn't have worried… there was more than enough food on the table.She looked at Kira and re-evaluated the woman again._

Kira noticed the look, and laughed. "Honestly, Lina. You don't have to be so wary of me. Look in a mirror, child. We're the same, you and I."

Lina took a seat, reaching out to take a plate. It wouldn't do to have poor manners, not right now. But as she watched, Kira dug into lunch with the same sort of gusto that Lina was well known for. Startled into silence, Kira looked over, a chicken leg in her hand. "What, Lina? I don't expect you to eat any differently than you normally do. Eat, child, it's going to get cold."

Lina set her plate aside, and for a time, the only sounds in the kitchen were from the two who were busy stuffing themselves.

At length, Kira leaned back and grinned at Lina. "You're definitely one of the family. I don't know why we didn't meet before."

Lina wiped her hands off on the napkin and looked to Kira. "That's something that bothers me. You're written out of the Inverse Family Book. I'm not even sure how we're related. There's one or two references to Kira Inverse, but all the pages that should have your information are sealed by some kind of spell."

Kira nodded as she picked up her glass. "Yup. L-Sama did that. She had her own reasons."

"She always does," Lina replied with a sigh. "But what now? You don't look like…"

"Like I'm old enough to be your great-great grandmother?"

Lina stared. "There's no way!"

Kira laughed. "I wasn't much older than you when I was approached by an agent of L-Sama. I had the power to change forms after that… and the side effect was that this would be my base form. Yes, I age, but not physically. It's the same for you, you know. And no, you can't grow any larger. It doesn't work that way."

Lina blushed, wondering if she was that see-through.

Kira shook her head. "I felt the same way, Lina. I'm not precisely built myself… but it's been a long time since that's bothered me. Anyone makes a comment, just fireball them. After a while, they get the idea."

Lina smirked. "Not Gourry Gabriev. He's as dumb as a brick."

"Really? How interesting. The Gabriev family name is one that I haven't heard in a very long time. How much elf still runs in their blood, I wonder?"

Lina stood up, staring at Kira. "ELF?!?!"

Kira blinked, then smiled at Lina. "Elf. You didn't know? No… you don't remember! But who took your memories? It must have been Rouddy. I ought to beat him for that. Well, you can remember it now, if you choose to."

"If I…" Lina's voice trailed off as suddenly, the memories of Joylock and Rouddy came flooding back to her. She sat, considering. "Oh…"

Kira chuckled softly. "Lina, girl, you have a lot to learn…"

The younger Inverse looked to the older. "That reminds me. I have a few questions…"

Kira nodded. "I imagine you do. But let's go into the other room and let Anya tend to the dishes."

Lina caught a shadowy figure by the door, and nodded. She wasn't certain what type of creature that was, and she wasn't about to ask.

As the two left the room, they began to talk, Lina starting with question after question. It never even crossed Lina's mind that the others might have been worrying about her. She hadn't told them, after all.

The travelers stood in the hotel, each looking at the other.

"And you're sure that you don't know where she went, Amelia?" Gourry asked the nervous girl.

Amelia shook her head slowly. "Not a clue, Mister Gourry. She teased me a little, then went out the door… and vanished in the streets."

Zelgadis folded his arms and looked at Gourry. "This isn't the first time that Lina's done this. She'll be back."

Amelia looked at Zelgadis with a strange expression for a moment. "She says that about you too, Zelgadis…"

Gourry lifted an eyebrow, sighing. "I hope so…"

It may have been lost on Gourry that Amelia had not said the 'Mister' in front of his name, but Zelgadis noticed right away, and a slight blush tinged his cheeks. "Besides, you know that Lina never misses dinner if she can help it."

But she had missed dinner. At least, she'd missed dinner with them. They had searched the town, to no avail, and were sitting at a table in the hotel's lobby when the door opened, and a very tired Lina walked in.

She'd been too tired to do anything but go straight to bed, fielding questions and concerned comments, walking towards the room that she shared with Amelia. Her companions looked at each other, deeply worried, and when Gourry had tried to catch her at the door, she'd looked at him quietly and shaken her head, closing the door behind her.

Amelia had burst into the room, fully prepared to argue violently with Lina, but had stopped when she saw Lina sitting on the bed, back to the door. Lina's shoulders were shaking, and for a moment, Amelia thought that she ought to leave, but marshaled her thoughts and tiptoed over to Lina.

"Miss Lina…?"

Lina lowered her head slightly, voice struggling to clear itself without her having to do it. "Yes?"

"Um… I just wanted to let you know that you weren't alone… just like you told me. We're your friends…"

Lina whispered as she lay down, still turned away. "I know, Amelia. I… I met someone today that I wish I'd known a long time ago." She sighed softly. "Amelia, don't ever close out your whole family. It isn't worth it…"

Amelia stood in silence, stunned, watching as Lina went to sleep. _What happened, Miss Lina…? Why won't you tell us?_

She was standing alone in the unholy grave of Shabranigdo, the place where she had first cast the Giga Slave, not knowing its terrible power and potential destructive force. A chill settled in her stomach, fear gripping her heart, and she shook her head. "No… not again…Not this…"

She stumbled over rocks and boulders, searching for something that she didn't know. She was indeed alone, she couldn't find the others, and they didn't answer her calls.

At length, she sat on a boulder and looked out at the desolation, wondering why she was there. What purpose could returning here serve? What was she looking for, if not her friends?

Something glimmered magically, a sense catching her eye and mind, and she slipped off the boulder, moving in search of it.

There it was, the Philosopher's Stone. But hadn't it been destroyed when Rezo used it? But this was good! Her dream was telling her that she could go get the stone! It existed! She could give it to Zelgadis for his cure…

Ah… Lina Inverse. How amusing that it is you who comes here. You will be an excellent choice indeed.

"Who's there?" Lina snapped, spinning around to find no-one behind her.

I am. The End-All, the Be-All. I am what you will become.

"I'm tired of riddles! Show yourself!" Lina snarled, grip tightening on the Philosopher's Stone.

### If you wish…

As she watched, a dark and shapeless form rose out of the ground, vaguely familiar. With a sharp breath, Lina realized that she was looking at a part of Shabranigdo that had escaped. "How…! I destroyed you!"

No, Lina Inverse. You destroyed but a small part of me. And now… now I take you into my service.

"Like Hell, you will!" Gripping the Philosopher's Stone, she began to cast.

### Yes… come closer…

"Lord of the Darkness and the Four Worlds, I call upon you, grant me all the power that you possess!" The Philosopher's Stone and the talismans answered her call, as the Lord of Nightmares' power was beginning to weave about her.

### Can you fight me, Lina Inverse? Let us see…

"Darkness beyond blackest pitch, deeper than the deepest night! Lord of Darkness, shining like gold upon the Sea of Chaos, I call upon thee, swear myself to thee! Let the fools who stand before us be destroyed by the power you and I possess! GIGA SLAVE!!" she cast without hesitation.

The power built, feeding upon itself, but then, she felt it. The magic twisted, the Sea of Chaos crashing over her. She couldn't breathe, couldn't see, and she couldn't think. She was changing, she could feel it… a twisting in her soul, a terrible darkness swallowing her. She saw them come running up, her friends. Her magic snaked out and caught them all up in a brilliant flare. She was becoming a Mazoku! She-

Lina shot straight up in bed, a terrified holler escaping her. A face hovered over her own and before she even tried to recognize it, still caught in the fragments of her nightmare, she inhaled and screamed again. It was long, it was loud, and when she ran out of air, she inhaled and screamed yet again.

Amelia sat up in her own bed beside Lina's, looking wildly around to see what was wrong. At the same time, the door to Lina's hotel room burst open, Gourry and Zelgadis both darting in with blades drawn. 

Xellos was standing beside the bed, scratching his head in confusion. Elena was standing in the shadows, and Lina was sitting in the dead center of her bed, as stiff as a board, screaming her lungs out.


	3. Nightmare! Kira to the Rescue! It's Gonn...

Chapter 3

Nightmare!

Kira to the Rescue

It's Gonna be a Long Night…

Gourry was trying to figure out why Lina was screaming at Xellos. Granted, the thought of being literally nose-to-nose with the Trickster Priest wasn't anything he'd particularly enjoy… his eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to him. "Xellos! Did you kiss Lina?"

Amelia turned blue at the thought, and Zelgadis' eyes narrowed.

Xellos, who had, by now managed to take a few steps back, looked at the others nervously. "Of course not! I am married to Elena now… she doesn't let me kiss just anybody…"

Lina's scream silenced as she came to the conclusion that there was no need to scream, and she sat in the center of the bed, shivering. _Something's wrong… something's desperately wrong… She jumped as there was weight on the bed, and Gourry's arms encircled her._

"Lina, what's wrong…?"

"I… It…" She couldn't remember. Unaware of it, she leaned into Gourry, trying to recall that which danced just at the edge of her mind.

A shadow fell in the doorway, and a strange echo of Lina's voice came from behind Amelia and Zelgadis. "What's wrong? I felt it three streets over… Lina?"

Everyone in the room, except Lina, turned to see a mirror image of Lina Inverse standing in the doorway. She wore a long-sleeved black turtleneck over black pants with a silver belt, her own red hair in a ponytail. The tiny mage marks were clearly visible, and crimson eyes narrowed. "You," Her voice was dark, threatening, and her gaze was locked on Xellos.

Xellos sweatdropped. If this was who he thought it was, then he could be in danger. Two options came to mind, and quickly, he came to a decision. He lowered his staff, kneeling to her. "My lady, it is good to see you are well…" he murmured, much to the shock of Gourry, Zelgadis, and Amelia.

"Hmph," the mirror image sniffed as she stalked into the room and walked past the stunned chimera and princess, coming to a halt by the bed. She rested a hand on Lina's head and looked at Gourry, eyes calm. "You don't look much like Rouddy, but I suppose that's to be expected." Looking down at the mirror image of herself, Kira sighed. "Lina Inverse, pull yourself together. It was nothing but a dream. For the fifth, and final, time, you are not becoming a Mazoku. You can't. That's not L-Sama's nature. Her nature is Chaos. And so is yours."

Xellos froze. How much would she tell? He had no questions about his orders if someone were to reveal too much, but this woman had a strange immunity. She was a contradiction, an immortal human who had worked in the service of the Lord of Nightmares. She knew it all, and was allowed to retain that knowledge upon resigning her position to… Lina.

Lina lifted her head with tears streaking down her cheeks.

"Who are you?" A stony voice asked, and Kira looked over at the now-closer chimera who had addressed her.

_Such impressively dedicated companions, Lina. I was never so lucky… Kira thought for a moment. "I am Kira Inverse, and you are Zelgadis Graywords." She watched the chimera's eyes widen slightly in surprise. The girl came up uncertainly beside him. "Amelia wil Tesla Sailune." Her eyes and voice softened slightly. "Princess, you…" Kira shook her head__. No… it wouldn't do to tell her that here. Later. When there aren't others. _

Gourry's embrace, which had tightened around Lina when Kira had touched her, now lessened, and he looked at Kira. "Gosh! You could be Lina's sister! You look just like her! Are you two related?"

Kira looked at Lina, who was slowly becoming herself again. "You're right. A whole stack of bricks."

Kira had promptly chased everyone out of the room, including Gourry, but stayed behind herself in the room with Lina. Those who Kira had chased out of the room had all gathered in the dining area, various mugs of tea and coffee passing around to whomever wanted some. 

"Do you really think Miss Lina is safe with her?" Amelia asked uncertainly. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she noted that both Gourry and Zelgadis were dressed... and she was the only one in the hotel pajamas. Blushing slightly, she drew herself up smaller in the chair.

A hand touched her shoulder lightly, and Amelia looked up to see Elena's golden eyes glittering at her in unspoken mirth. A warmth tingled around Amelia, and she blinked in surprise as Elena's magic changed the pajamas into her preferred clothing – minus the cape. Blushing again, the princess of Sailune smiled to the princess of Kuroryu, who only smiled back, saying nothing.

Xellos was the one who eventually answered Amelia. "That's Kira Inverse. She was once the Knight of Chaos… the most powerful human to walk the world. The only human to cross the barrier until it fell. She's also Lina's great-great grandmother… I would imagine that there is nothing to concern yourself over."

Zelgadis muttered something about highly treacherous relatives, and Amelia reached out to touch him on the arm lightly.

"Lina is the Knight of Chaos now… as immortal as Xellos or I… but she is not Mazoku, which appears to be her worst fear," Elena said softly. "She will have to overcome that, or be crippled by the fear."

"You are correct, Elena of Kuroryu. In Lina's dream, she recovered the lost Philosopher's Stone… only to discover that Shabranigdo had not been defeated. Her dream echoed the warning in the Claire Bible – those who are not of Chaos, cannot become Chaos." Kira said as she walked into the room and selected a cup of coffee for herself. Everyone turned to look at the woman who was, to them, the mirror image of the sorceress in concern.

"Lina's about as chaotic as anyone I know," Zelgadis said. "But is she going to be all right?"

"Yeah… I'll be fine," Lina answered for herself, wearily leaning against the corner of the wall. She'd come in behind Kira, and watched how worried her friends looked. It touched her how concerned they had looked to Kira when she'd walked into the room. _Kira was right… this is my family. Even Xellos, for what that's worth. She straightened and walked into the room, affecting her cheerful appearance, wondering who would see through it and call her on it. "It's just a disconcerting thing to dream that you're turning into a Mazoku… and then wake up to find Xellos in your face." She managed a dark glower at the now-innocent looking Mazoku._

"Well…" Xellos gave a dismissing laugh. "I admit to curiosity about your dream, Lina…"

Lina reached out and examined the hot drinks offered, wrinkling her nose at the coffee_. Kira and Zelgadis may like it, but yuck!! She selected a cup of tea, adding enough sugar to make even Amelia wince. "You're just going to have to stay curious, Xellos."_

Amelia watched Lina and Kira. To the princess' eyes, the two were almost identical… with a very slight few mannerism differences. Kira moved with a subtle grace that seemed to be as much a part of her as the fire that burned in Lina's eyes. Beyond that, to people who did not know Lina… Gourry was right. They could easily pass as twins.

"I've decided that you aren't staying here tonight, so everyone go get your things. I'll take care of things with the hotel in the morning. Luna should have told you, Lina. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if that girl has anything other than waiting on tables in her brain," Kira said, causing Lina to splutter into her tea. "Oh yes…I must remember that… sorry, Lina." Kira amended.

Lina watched her friends silently go to gather their belongings, and set her tea down to look at Xellos. "What are you doing here anyway, Xellos? Aren't you supposed to have a honeymoon or something?"

Xellos actually leered at Lina, causing the sorceress to step back. "What makes you think we didn't?"

Elena calmly reached out and knocked Xellos over, giving Lina a grin as she did so. "Stop leering, Xellos."

"Ow…"

As Xellos stood up and dusted himself off, the others returned with what little they had brought. Amelia handed Lina the sword that she had left behind, and Lina took it, knowing how hard it must have been for Amelia to pick it up. As much as the girl tried to keep a secret, Lina had, in her own fashion, managed to put the pieces of the puzzle of Sailune's missing royal family member together. She had a pretty good idea where Gracia was… but she wasn't about to let on. A lot more things made sense to her, and she was wondering where the thoughts had come from when Kira looked at her.

"Time to learn a new spell, Lina. You've used it before and not known how…" A gentle hand was laid on her arm, and Lina suddenly heard Kira in her mind, understood how she had teleported like Xellos could… and looked at Kira in shock. _Telepathy!_

Kira smiled faintly, lifted her hand and vanished, along with Amelia and Zelgadis. Xellos and Elena winked out, and Lina shook her head, looked at Gourry and shrugged. "Hang on, Gourry… this could be a rough ride." She wrapped her mind around the spell, feeling the world shift and suddenly, she was standing in the living room in Kira's house, Gourry beside her. She'd done it before, she realized, when she'd gone after Zelgadis. And now she knew how to do it better. It was tasking, though, requiring a lot of concentration, but then… she wasn't near to full energy.

"Gosh, Lina! That's useful! No more long walking…" Gourry said as Lina reached out and decked him.

"It's not as easy as that, okay, Gourry? Just lay off for a little while," Lina said, dropping into a chair, and closing her eyes. She was just too tired…

When Lina opened her eyes, she was lying in an extremely soft bed, and the sun was streaming high into the window. She felt warm, protected, comfortable… something that she hadn't felt in a very long time. Normal aches and pains from being on the road were gone, and she felt as if she'd caught up on every moment of lost sleep in her life.

She sat up and stretched, noticing that all the old pains from various injuries of past were gone. Getting out of the bed, she wandered over to her clothing that was draped on a chair, and dressed, wondering why she felt so good. _Even my hair is happy today, she thought as she brushed it out. __But I wonder… She paused, and then the vague flicker of a memory crept across her mind. Kira had come and helped her to bed__. Family… I have… family. They do that sort of thing, don't they? Lina found it strangely appealing. She shook her hair out, tied up the ribbon, and opened the bedroom door._

The kitchen was filled with people, and Kira loved it. Zelgadis was calmly sitting at the table drinking coffee, Amelia sitting cheerfully beside him, engaged in chatter with Elena. Gourry was busy eating everything that Kira's maid put in front of him, and Xellos was doing his dead-level best to irritate them all, but somehow falling short of his mark. Kira laughed softly and added a spoonful of cream to her coffee, moving to the table.

Amelia looked over as the hostess walked up to the table, and still marveled at how closely Lina resembled her. Kira had braided her hair into a ponytail down her back, and was wearing a soft bluish-violet ensemble. By Amelia's reckoning, Kira Inverse was over a hundred years old, but she didn't look a day older than Lina did. And Amelia was pretty sure that Lina wasn't much into her early twenties. Age wasn't exactly anything that Amelia had asked about, content to guess on her own how old her companions were. She knew that Gourry was the oldest of them, but she had no idea how old Zelgadis was. It was rather hard to tell with him.

"So all of you let me sleep in so you could hog the food, right?" Lina asked wryly as she walked into the kitchen.

Amelia looked at Lina, then blinked. There was something different about Lina this morning. The sorceress moved easier, and there was a spring in her step that Amelia hadn't seen in a very long time. Zelgadis' eyes narrowed, and Amelia knew that he was seeing it too. Lina herself seemed unaware of it, plopping down in a chair beside Gourry and swiping a sausage before he could react. She was a lot faster, too.

Zelgadis set his mug down and looked at Lina. "You look rested."

Lina grinned at him as she finished her filched sausage. "I feel rested. It's been a long time since I felt this good. I like it."

Kira nodded as she herself placed the first plate of food in front of Lina. "That is the effect of the Chaos magic on you. Being that you are of the same nature, it compliments you instead of harming."

Lina looked to Kira only for a moment, then dug into breakfast. "So you're saying that I'm what? Some sort of Chaos being now?"

Kira sighed and sat beside Lina. "You really are as stubborn as an Inverse. You're just as human as your friends… well… that is…" Six pairs of eyes settled on Kira, and she laughed. "Okay, maybe calling Xellos and Elena human is a stretch. But you, Zelgadis, don't you go telling me that you aren't human. And Gourry, don't you start either… not that I expect you to know. And Amelia, don't give me that look. You're all, in your own ways, human." No one looked particularly convinced, and Kira sighed. 

"I'd rather simply be human," Zelgadis said, taking up his freshly filled coffee mug.

"Would you?" Kira countered, crimson eyes flickering towards the chimera. "Without that spell, you'd be powerless, unable to protect your friends. If you were human, there is nothing to say that you would have met any of them." She paused, watching his reaction. "Think about it, Zelgadis. If you hadn't been a chimera, would you have been so useful to Rezo? Would he have sent you to look for the Philosopher's Stone? Would you have met Lina and Gourry that day?"

Zelgadis gave it a few minutes worth of good thought before replying grudgingly. "Probably not."

"There is a reason for everything that each of you has been through. Even you, Amelia," Kira said, watching the young princess look up sharply, flush red, and look down at her mug.

Lina looked to the girl in concern. She knew that there was something Amelia did her best to hide, and Lina liked Amelia enough not to pry. She had a few ideas, knew that it was something about her mother, but she didn't know anything beyond that. She suspected that it was related to her missing older sister, but how… she didn't know.

The front door opened to the house, and everyone in the kitchen clearly heard a voice raised in panic. "Lady Inverse! Lady Inverse! It's Rihana! She's back!!"

The cold that suddenly coalesced around Kira Inverse was tangible to all in the house. Rising to her feet, all sign of the jovial and laid-back hostess vanished, replaced by a powerful and focused immortal that gave even Xellos a good unnerving.


	4. Rihana, the Dark Mage! The Exiled Priest...

Chapter 4

Rihana, the Dark Mage!

The Exiled Priest of Shabranigdo!

The New Enemy Arrives!

Lina stood, following Kira out to the foyer, where a white-clad man leaned on the doorjamb, gasping heavily for breath_. A Holy Warrior of Cepheid… I haven't seen any of them since I left Zefielia! Stepping up behind Kira, she looked to the guest, whose eyes promptly rounded in amazement._

"Two… Lady Inverse…?" He asked unsteadily.

Kira dismissed it with a wave. Reaching out with a hand that was glowing softly, she touched the warrior and healing magic began its work. "So. Rihana of the Flames has returned. This is most irritating indeed."

"Rihana Hisaki… She fancied herself the most powerful until you came along, wasn't that how it went, Kira?" Xellos asked as he entered the room with the others.

Kira's answer came in the form of a counter-question. "Whose side are you on, Xellos? Answer quickly, and carefully. I have neither the time, nor the patience to put up with you if you're here to cause trouble." She noticed the hiss from the Warrior of Cepheid, but said nothing.

Xellos scratched his head. "Trouble is Lina's job. I'm only here to report on various actions."

Lina spun, glaring daggers at Xellos. "Trouble? It seems to me that the only time things get blown out of proportion is when you're around, Xellos!" Her temper sparked a dangerous glow in her eyes, and Xellos thought it prudent to back down for the moment. After all, he wasn't really there for any reason at all… except perhaps to annoy Lina. It was, after all, such fun.

"Like it is right now?" Zelgadis asked quietly, tacitly ignoring the elbow that was undoubtedly going to be bruised from trying to shush him.

Amelia shot Zelgadis a look as she rubbed her elbow. It was entirely too easy to forget that he had very solid stone skin. No doubt she'd have a lovely bruise, but she'd heal it when it showed up. As for right now, they needed to focus on the return of Shabranigdo's long-exiled Priest.

The group stepped outside, the sunlight brilliant and forcing them to shade their eyes as they struggled to see the arrival.

She was an almost reversed-image glowing dark-skinned figure in a red cloak, long black hair flowing in the breeze. For a moment, Lina wondered what unlucky soul had to brush that out after this, but quickly put that thought aside. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about fashion and beauty! But... this woman... A breeze caught the woman's cloak, and the fabric billowed out, revealing the slender figure within. With a sudden jolt, Lina realized that the woman was dressed very much like Rezo had been.

A blouse of white was tucked into skin-tight black pants, a red belt laced at her waist. In her hand was a half-staff, a brilliant red talisman set into one end. There was a flash of light from the brilliant blue gem that was caught at her throat, and suddenly, Lina's breath caught as her new abilities suddenly flared and she sensed something familiar within that stone's watery depths. _Auntie Aqua… the Water Dragon… that's all that's left…? Oh no… Is this who was responsible for the fall of the Water Dragon King so long ago? If this Rihana is that powerful… we could all be in a whole lot of trouble…_

"So," The woman's dulcet voice fell on Lina's ears like velvet, and once again Lina found herself trying not to have a complex about the unfairness of it all. _She's so… so… adult! Why can't I have a figure like that!? "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lina Inverse."_

Lina looked up from her thoughts to the woman, about to reply, when she realized that this all-frightening woman was looking at Kira rather expectantly.

Various sweatdrops appeared, and Lina sighed. This was the all-powerful, hideously dangerous Exiled Priest of Shabranigdo? Lina took a breath, and before Kira could answer, stepped forwards and held out her hand. "Actually, I'm Lina Inverse. That's Kira Inverse, my-"

"Your sister! I should have known! You two look so alike! I'm so sorry..." Rihana interrupted.

Somewhere in the back of Lina's mind, she identified the sounds of the falling people. Zelgadis and Amelia had hit the floor almost at the same time, Gourry only moments behind them. _Naturally, it took Gourry a few seconds more to understand it, she thought. Forcing a smile to Rihana, who was busy peering at the people who had fallen over, Lina shook her head. "No, she's my great-great... great grandmother."_

Kira shot Lina a glare. "I'm not _that old, you. Just two greats. __Not three."_

Eyes as deep as onyx turned to Lina. "Why are they on the floor? Are they okay?" Rihana peered into the room curiously.

Violet eyes suddenly blinked back at her, and the Priest of Shabranigdo gave a startled yelp, hopping back as Xellos grinned. "Why, hello, Rihana. It's been a long time!" He stood with a satisfied smile, eyes closed once more.

"Not nearly long enough, Xellos Metallium. What are you doing here?" She snarled, a cold chill settling over her, startling Lina.

"Me?" Xellos feigned innocence. "I'm here on my honeymoon. Tirshen is such a lovely little town..."

Rihana snorted. "Stop lying, Xellos. It may have fooled me once and long ago, but not anymore."

An arm slithered over Xellos' shoulder, hand snaking down his chest and two very golden eyes opened to look across to Rihana. "Oh, he's not lying. I'm Elena Ul Kuroryu Metallium. It's a pleasure to meet you..."

Lina suddenly didn't envy the figure in red. There seemed to be no love lost between Rihana and Xellos, much as Filia and Xellos had preferred to... disagree... they had at least made peace with each other. These two looked like they were old enemies, back from before the wars. _Or... she thought__, old lovers. Oh dear. That means... well, Xellos is __a monster after all... _

_Rihana looked to Lina, shaking her head. "Interesting companions you keep, Chaos Knight. Or... are they your... servants, the Priest and General of Beastmaster?"_

"Excuse me," Xellos began as he sweatdropped, but Lina's uplifted hand cut him short.

"Look, I may be the Knight of Chaos, and I may answer to the Lord of Nightmares, but that doesn't mean that I'm on a power trip, okay? Xellos and Elena are here on honeymoon. What they do is entirely up to them," Lina said calmly, mentally noting where everyone was. It was almost distracting that she could sense the entire group, knew where and how they were standing. Helpful, but distracting.

"I see. What a shame. You have no idea what your powers will grant you, Lina Inverse," Rihana smiled softly.

_Oh, for crying out loud! This__ is the Exiled Priest? I mean… her attention span is shorter than my temper!!! And she's got a figure! Why do things like this always have to happen to me__??? Lina whined to herself as she tried not to glare at Rihana. She'd force herself to be polite. If the woman was half as powerful as Lina feared…_

**_She is not as powerful as you may think, Lina Inverse._**

Lina blinked as the Lord of Nightmares' mindvoice interrupted the tirade. _She's not? But that stone at her neck…_

Is indeed what you think it is. You could command its return. Ask for it, if you wish. As you are one of Mine, the lesser must comply.

_Lesser…?_

As My Knight, you hold seniority over them, Lina Inverse. All of them.

_…All of them…? Lina wondered curiously.___

All.

_Even…?_

Even.

_Oh. My._

There was a mental chuckle as the Lord of Nightmares coalesced beside Lina. Immediately Xellos, Elena, and Rihana kneeled. Lina looked over, startled, seeing Kira reach out to the Golden One, embracing her as if they were old friends.

"My Lady…" Kira laughed as the Lord of Nightmares chuckled and returned the embrace.

Lina heard Amelia, Zelgadis, and Gourry fall over again. As for herself, she wasn't entirely certain that she hadn't left reality for some strange dream.She pinched her arm, wincing when it hurt, and shook her head slowly. "This is getting to me, guys. Will someone please explain to me what is going on?"

The Lord of Nightmares turned to look to Lina with a smile. "There has to be the occasional light moment, you know. I can't be a serious character all the time…"

This time, Lina fell over. 

It was a few hours later, and the majority of the people in Kira Inverses' house were happily chatting away. Those that weren't were the usual suspects, Gourry and Zelgadis.

Gourry, for his part, was sound asleep in what had turned out to be a very comfortable chair. He hadn't meant to fall asleep… but when he sat down and tried to follow the various conversations, well… the vast majority of them were over his head. Sleep came naturally.

Zelgadis was watching Amelia. Really honestly watching her. Her expressions, her movements… how animated she was while discussing things with Kira. There was a lot to the girl that he hadn't really taken the time to see before.

He was so intent on Amelia that he didn't notice as Lina walked up behind the stool that he sat on and nearly fell off when she nudged him slightly. "Hey! No ogling the Princess of Sailune, Zelgadis!"

Amelia overheard the comment, and glanced over, blushing.

Lina laughed softly to herself, seeing the matching blushes. It had been almost too easy to get those two looking at each other. _Now, she thought quietly,__ if only I could get through to Gourry…_

Zelgadis saw the thought cross behind her eyes, saw her gaze flicker to the sleeping swordsman, and looked across to Amelia. The princess had seen it too. But what to do about it? Gourry was dumber than almost everything Zelgadis had ever encountered, but he had a good heart. 

Lina shook her head and wandered into the kitchen, startling Elena, who was sitting quietly at the table with a mug of something that smelled absolutely wonderful. "What are you drinking?" She approached Elena as if the woman wasn't the wife of Xellos and General of the Beastmaster. Maybe it was a little irreverent, but she'd known her before all that…

Elena looked up, tilting her head at Lina. "Oh… this? It's something that Kira called 'cinnamon cocoa' and I have to admit, it's pretty good…"

Lina considered. Anything that had cinnamon and chocolate in it simply had to be good. "So… where can I get some?" She looked around the kitchen, not seeing any viable source of the liquid.

Anya, the strange servant that Lina had noticed earlier, produced a mug with the wonderful-smelling drink, and offered it to her. With a shrug, Lina took the mug and sipped slowly.

_Yes, she decided__, this is definitely something worth drinking again. Oh, this is good... She settled into a chair at the table and looked over at Elena. "So… how are things working out? I mean, between your Dragon blood and the Mazoku affiliation."_

Elena smiled softly, setting her own mug down. "Well… I'm not sure I'm a true Mazoku. I don't have to feed like most of them do… and though Xellos won't tell me all of it, I'm given the impression that as agents of Zelas… we're somewhat exempt from certain things."

"Like the fact that Xellos loves?" Lina asked. "I mean, it's a pretty well-known fact that Mazoku can't love. It goes against the very nature of being a lesser minion of Shabranigdo."

Elena mused for a moment. "I think that's because there's just enough of what we once were within us…"

'Oh… I see," Lina replied. "It gives you another level on which to operate. Because there's a little of that aspect of self left, you can understand the reasons used in reactions taken by the mortals. That makes sense."

"It's the same with you, Lina," Kira's voice interrupted as she entered the kitchen. "You are every bit Lina Inverse as you are Chaos Knight. And because the hierarchy is set up that way, you can't become a Mazoku. You draw on powers that are higher than they are… no offence, Elena."

Elena shrugged. "It doesn't really affect me. I know that if Lina so chose, she could wipe me off of the face of the Four Worlds with a few moments worth of thought. But I'm also pretty sure that we wouldn't ever come to that… so I'm not going to spend any time worrying over it."

Lina was thunderstruck. "I… could do… that?"

Kira cuffed her great-great granddaughter. "Remember your hierarchy lessons, child! The Lord of Nightmares is the Mother of All Things, yes? And given that, L-Sama resides over Shabranigdo, even as Shabranigdo resides over Zelas. Granted, that doesn't really bother Zelas… but not many things do actually bother her."

"So… I'm on a higher level than Zelas?" Lina asked, considering this carefully.

Kira sat beside Lina and shook her head. "Not in the literal sense, no. You're in a class of your own… but you do carry more weight in the grand scheme of things than say… Xellos."

Lina thought about that. "That's a rather unnerving thought. I mean… why me? What is so special about me that I'd be picked for this?"

Kira smiled softly. "That's something that you are going to have to discover for yourself, Lina. No-one can tell you why except yourself."

Lina made a face at Kira. "Why did I expect that kind of an answer from you? At least it beats Xellos' favorite phrase." She shook her head and finished the cocoa. "That stuff's good. It makes the perfect before-bed drink… and that is precisely where I am going." She stood up, turning to head for the kitchen door. "Goodnight."

Amelia missed Lina's farewell because she was standing on the porch, looking off across the street. A tan-gloved hand settled on the railing beside hers, and she looked up to see Zelgadis looking off in the same direction she had been.

"You were out here alone," he said without looking.

Amelia nodded slowly. "It was kind of… crowded in there."

There was the slightest hint of a chuckle from him. "It's becoming a habit to have the Lord of Nightmares Herself around at dinnertime. At least she eats less than Lina."

Amelia giggled for a moment, then turned serious. "What do you think of this, Mi… Zelgadis? With Miss Lina as the Chaos Knight…" She turned to look at him, eyes threatened by tears. "Do you think she'll still want us as her friends?"

He put his hand on her shoulder, trying to be as comforting as he knew how. "Of course she will, Amelia. She's still the same old Lina."

Above, frozen just in the process of leaning out the open window to holler down a good night to the two on the porch, Lina stood mute. _Oh, Amelia… she thought, moving back away from the window and turning to the bed, fighting tears of her own__. They're all so worried about me… and frankly, so am I…_

With that thought, she curled up in the bed and fell asleep, trying to forget.


	5. I'm the Chaos Knight! A History Lesson L...

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I'm the Chaos Knight!

A History Lesson

Leads to the Future

Lina's dreams were far from restful. The words of the Lord of Nightmares at dinner still haunted her.

"As much as I would enjoy being here for recreation, I must tell you that I am not," The Lord of Nightmares looked across the table towards Lina and Kira.

Lina froze in mid-bite, but Kira continued to cut her steak, nodding as if there was nothing unusual in that. "I didn't think you were, L-Sama. It has to do with Lina's dreams, doesn't it?"

The Golden One nodded slowly. "Part of your dreams are correct, Lina. There is something that you must do in relation to the Philosopher's Stone. And if it is not done in time…"

Lina's voice was a whisper. "Shabranigdo will be reborn…?"

"Reborn, yes. But not from you or of you," The Lord replied.

"Excuse me," Zelgadis said, putting his cup down. "I don't see why you want to keep the Dark Lord from being reborn."

Amelia held her breath. _Mister Zelgadis really shouldn't talk to the Lord of Nightmares like that!!_ She thought frantically, and then a chill ran down her spine as the golden eyes flickered to her briefly.

"Shabranidgo, like his lesser minions Garv and Phibrizo sought to overcome Me," the Lord of Nightmares said, now tactfully ignoring the cringing princess of Sailune.

Zelgadis nodded. "That makes sense. In overcoming you, the balance of the Four Worlds is usurped."

Gourry opened his mouth, but Lina hit him before he could ask anything. "Not to mention that you must have a vested interest in keeping yourself in control, true?"

"Indeed," the Lord of Nightmares nodded to Lina and hid her bemusement at the antics between Lina and Gourry. Soon enough, she knew, Lina would come to learn the reason that Gourry Gabriev was the way he was… and that would have its own consequences…

"So I have to recover the Philosopher's Stone before it's used again, right?" Lina asked, undaunted by this information.

The Lord of Nightmares nodded.

"Then… what's the catch?" Lina said, putting her hand on her glass and picking it up.

**_The 'catch', Lina, is that you must do this alone._**

Lina dropped the glass.

She sat up in bed, awoken from a nightmare that she could not remember. Shaking, she stood and walked to the window, opening it for some fresh air. _Alone… Without my friends… Without… Gourry…_

She leaned out the window, recalling fragments of this latest nightmare, puzzling it out with the memory of her first nightmare of the entire situation…

_She was standing alone in the unholy grave of Shabranigdo, the place where she had first cast the Giga Slave, not knowing its terrible power and potential destructive force. A chill settled in her stomach, fear gripping her heart, and she shook her head. "No… not again…Not this…"_

_She stumbled over rocks and boulders, searching for something that she didn't know. She was indeed alone, she couldn't find the others, and they didn't answer her calls._

_At length, she sat on a boulder and looked out at the desolation, wondering why she was there. What purpose could returning here serve? What was she looking for, if not her friends?_

_ _

That's right. I was alone in the dream… they weren't with me… I was there… without anyone…

_Something glimmered magically, a sense catching her eye and mind, and she slipped off the boulder, moving in search of it._

There it was, the Philosopher's Stone. But hadn't it been destroyed when Rezo used it? But this was good! Her dream was telling her that she could go get the stone! It existed! She could give it to Zelgadis for his cure…

_And when I thought about Zelgadis… He showed up. Shabranigdo came in my dream. Was it because I was sidetracked? I let my guard down? Something happened to me in Kuroryu… beyond me taking the position as Chaos Knight. What was it?_

Her mind flickered back to the fight with Shabranigdo. _I was alone then too…_

_Those moments flew, precious and fleeting, and then his physical attack came from behind. She hadn't expected that. It pierced her protective shield and caught her about the waist, upending her. He threw her up against the far wall, and for a moment, she thought she heard Gourry call her name. Then, suddenly, she felt Shabranigdo let her go and she was falling. Her body hit the floor, her mind suddenly falling on into the Astral Plane as he pushed her on into the Astral Plane._

_ _

Lina's eyes widened. _What happened in the time between him throwing me Astral and when I came back to myself?_

The light knock at her door jolted her out of her memories, and she turned around to see the door open just a crack, Kira's face peering in. "Lina?"

Lina sighed softly. "Yeah, Kira. I'm awake."

Kira pushed the door open further and walked into the room. "You had another nightmare."

Lina tried to laugh it off. "Well, you know… She is the Lord of Nightmares, after all. I guess I can't be expected to be her Knight without having a few nightmares here and there."

Kira folded her arms. "You and I both know that is not the case."

Lina turned away, looking out the window once more. "I'm scared, Kira. I faced Shabranigdo alone once before. Something happened then… before I had the chance to call the Giga Slave. Shabranigdo… attacked me… physically." She leaned on the windowsill and sighed. "And I don't know what that might have done."

Kira walked towards the younger girl, wishing that there was something else to say, some way to pass it off and promise that things would get better. But there wasn't. "Lina… there are some… things… that I need to tell you. Some things that happened long before you were born… that set the course of both your life and mine."

Lina turned to look to Kira. "What do you mean?" The look on the elder Inverse's face was unnerving, as if Kira was wrestling with some unhappy memory.

"Let's go down to the kitchen," Kira said.

"The Lord of Nightmares paid me a visit one night. During this, She told me that there would come a time when She would be needed to act in a capacity that could not be done without the sacrifice of a human soul," Kira started, pouring two cups of cinnamon cocoa, one for Lina and one for herself.

Lina took the cup silently, watching her mirror image sit at the table.

"I had expected something to that nature. Chaos was, after all. I asked her if it was to be me… I'd been the Chaos Knight for almost thirty years. I'd been around for forty-seven years… not a bad life, really." Kira paused to sip at her drink. "But She told me that it wasn't to be me, but a descendant."

Lina snagged a roll from the basket at the center of the table and chewed on it. "But… you didn't have any children before you became the Chaos Knight."

"That's what I told Her. I told Her that a child would get in my way… severely hamper the ability to be the Chaos Knight, and that I knew the affiliations with Nightmare magics prevented children. But She told me otherwise," Kira said.

Lina stared. "But it's in all the books! And no Nightmare Mage has ever given birth!"

Kira's smile was wry and wistful. "In a sense, that's true. But, nevertheless, due in large part to Her magics, an infant was brought to the world that night. An infant of my flesh and blood, Anna Inverse. Your great-great grandmother. The Child of Chaos."

Lina put the cup down. "You're telling me that Anna Inverse was your child? But she grew up in Zefeilia…"

Kira nodded. "Yes. Because I took her there and gave her over to the Inverse Family to raise. I asked them that they not hold my actions against her. But they also had to know how powerful she would be." Kira sighed softly. "I had her at my side for a month in traveling to Zefeilia… and I missed her for years after."

Lina bit her lip. She couldn't imagine a child underfoot on her travels, let alone an infant in arms. But this was a chance to learn her history… her true family standing. Maybe it would explain…

"You know how powerful Anna was, and how she grew to become the Healer of Zefeilia. But you don't know that she herself had a girl named Laura. Laura Inverse's birth was what truly killed Anna." Kira watched Lina's expression carefully. "Yes, the Family Book says that Anna died healing a townsmember… but it was herself that she was trying to heal. Laura's birth was traumatic due to the magical nature of both Anna and Laura. As a result, Laura never cast a spell in her entire life."

Lina nodded. She knew that Laura Inverse had rejected the magic she inherited from her mother… but she'd thought that Laura had been born to another Inverse… not Anna. She reached out and grabbed another roll and waited for Kira to finish the history.

" Laura's child was your mother, Lina. And there's not much that I need to tell you about her, is there?" Kira asked.

Lina shook her head. "No… but…" something clicked in her mind, and she looked to Kira sharply. "You mean… all of this… was the Lord of Nightmares planning for me? For the day that I would have to cast the Giga Slave against Phibrizo?"

Kira took a long breath, and then exhaled. "Yes. You were the One… the ultimate descendant who would stand to be the sacrifice to the Lord of Nightmares. But you survived, largely due to Gourry Gabriev. Not even L-Sama had expected that."

Lina frowned. "But Gourry's…"

"Part elf, part descendant of Cephied."

Lina stared.

"Why else does he have the Sword of Light, Lina? Surely you don't think that the largest fragment of Cephied fell into obscurity? Absolutely not! You saw the power that Rouddy Gabriev had… you just never put it together that Gourry Gabriev was his descendant." Kira said, finishing her cocoa.

Lina considered this carefully. "But Gourry's so…"

Kira shook her head. "He may be thicker than a stack of bricks, but that's due to the elfin blood, and Rouddy wasn't a paragon of intelligence to begin with. But Gourry's powerful, whether he knows it or not."

Lina nodded slowly as she finished her roll.

"But the question remains, Lina. What else can you do? Do you know? Does the Lord of Nightmares? You are the Chaos Knight, but Shabranigdo wants you for some reason. Those nightmares of yours… they are more than mere nightmares."

A chill hit Lina and she looked back to Kira. "What?"

"Shabranigdo's trying to pull you to him. But you're powerful enough on your own to keep yourself steady. For now. But he's going to try to weaken you over time, try to turn you towards him," Kira said. "That's where Rihana fits in."

Lina's eyes narrowed. "I don't get it."

"You haven't fully stepped into the role of Chaos Knight, Lina. You haven't half a clue of what you can do as the Chaos Knight, and the rest of us don't know what you're capable of without being the Chaos Knight. You're a wild card that Shabranigdo would love to control. You alone can tip the balance of the World."

Kira's statement hit Lina and sank in very slowly. Kira allowed some time, then continued. "Rihana's return can only mean trouble. I'm sure that between your nightmares and her presence, Shabranigdo plans to throw you off-guard and put you into a position where you will be forced to grant him his rebirth."

Shock snapped through Lina and she felt the cold chill of reality hit her with full force. "I'd rather die."

"That's why the Lord of Nightmares wants you to complete this task alone. You have to learn what is within yourself, not just for being the Chaos Knight, but to prevent the resurrection of Shabranigdo," Kira said quietly.

"But how can I, when Rihana has returned? How can I just leave? I mean… there's not like there's… two… of… me…" Lina looked to Kira, then it all came clear. "You're going to be my decoy. I'm here and you're here and we can pass as twins, and I'm supposed to pick up and go off and leave you here, pretending to be me."

Kira looked away. "I can't see any other way, Lina."

Lina sighed heavily. "The damnable thing is neither can I. I don't want to become one of Shabranigdo's goons any more than you want me to be… but I'm not leaving without telling my friends. They have to know, so that it works. They'll all notice that you're not me… and that I'm missing. And knowing them, they'll all take off trying to find me."

Kira smiled. "Your friends… to have such dedicated devotion, Lina. I never had that."

Lina grinned. "Well, it's a good thing and a bad thing. I mean… it gets irritating at times, but then someone saves your butt when you weren't watching, and you realize that even though they may irritate the Hell out of them… you'd miss them not being around." The last phrase was quiet, as she knew that all too soon they wouldn't be around. She'd soon be on her own to claim the rights and powers of the Chaos Knight, and to discover precisely what they meant to her.

"Then we'll have to tell them in the morning. The sooner we do this, the better," Kira said, standing up.

Lina nodded and rose as well, but looked to Kira for a moment. "What about Xellos and Elena?"

Kira's smile was an eerie reminder of Lina's. "Xellos is sufficiently… afraid of me, Lina. And Elena seems to be a creature of reason. She will understand. Now let's go to bed. There's a long day of planning ahead of us."

Lina nodded quietly, following Kira out of the kitchen and into the hallway that led to the bedrooms. _Tomorrow… do I say goodbye tomorrow? Without… without knowing where Gourry and I…_

She closed the bedroom door and walked to the bed. _No… I can't think of that. I won't lose him again… and when I come back, I'll have that figured out too. I hope…_

She curled up in the bed, pulled the covers over her, and fell asleep.


End file.
